Muscular system - Anatomical terminology for healthcare professionals | Kenhub

Summary

This video, the fourth episode of the Kenhub series on anatomical terminology, dives into the muscular system, breaking down complex muscle-related terms. It explains how muscles are classified by type (skeletal, smooth, and cardiac) and explores key roots, prefixes, and suffixes used in medical terminology related to muscles. Viewers learn how muscle names reflect factors such as shape, size, and function, and they are introduced to concepts like isotonic and isometric contractions. The episode is designed to make understanding and mastering muscular terminology approachable for healthcare professionals.

Takeaways

• 💪 Muscular terminology can be challenging, but breaking down the terms into roots, prefixes, and suffixes makes it easier.
• 🦾 There are three types of muscle in the body: skeletal (voluntary movement), smooth (involuntary movement), and cardiac (heart).
• 🧠 My/o- is a key prefix related to muscles, such as in 'myalgia' (muscle pain) or 'myopathy' (muscle disease).
• ❤️ Muscles can be named based on various criteria, including shape, size, fiber direction, and their attachments to bones or tissues.
• 📏 Terms like 'isotonic' and 'isometric' describe different types of muscle contractions based on whether or not the muscle changes length.
• 🧬 Agonist muscles are the prime movers in a movement, while antagonists work in opposition to control the movement.
• 🧩 Muscle names can indicate the number of heads (e.g., biceps, triceps) or their location (e.g., temporalis over the temporal bone).
• 🏋️‍♂️ Terms like 'spasmo-' refer to muscle spasms, while '-trophy' indicates muscle growth or development, as in 'atrophy' or 'hypertrophy.'
• 🔄 Eccentric contractions lengthen the muscle under load, whereas concentric contractions shorten the muscle during a movement.
• 🎯 Understanding these terminologies makes it easier to grasp medical conditions and anatomical functions related to muscles.

Q & A

What are the three types of muscle found in the body?

The three types of muscle in the body are skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, and cardiac muscle. Skeletal muscle is attached to bones and is responsible for voluntary movement, smooth muscle controls involuntary movements like those in organs and vessels, and cardiac muscle is found in the heart and is also involuntary.

What is the root 'my/o-' and where does it come from?

'My/o-' comes from the Greek word 'mys,' which means muscle. It is used in terms like 'myalgia' (muscle pain) and 'myopathy' (muscle disease).

What is the difference between skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle?

Skeletal muscle is attached to bones and responsible for voluntary movement, smooth muscle controls involuntary movements of organs and vessels, and cardiac muscle is found in the heart, controlling involuntary contractions to pump blood.

How are muscles named based on shape? Give examples.

Muscles are named based on their shape. Examples include the trapezius (diamond-shaped), deltoid (triangular-shaped), and serratus anterior (saw-like shape).

What does 'rhabdomy/o-' refer to?

'Rhabdomy/o-' refers to skeletal or striated muscle. An example is 'rhabdomyosarcoma,' a malignant tumor of skeletal muscle.

What do 'tend/o-' and 'fasci/o-' refer to?

'Tend/o-' or 'tendin/o-' refers to tendons, such as in 'tendinitis' (inflammation of a tendon). 'Fasci/o-' refers to fascia, the connective tissue covering muscles, such as in 'fasciodesis,' a procedure to suture fascia.

What are the seven main criteria used to name muscles?

The seven main criteria for naming muscles are shape, size, orientation of fibers, action, number of heads or bellies, attachments, and location.

What is the difference between isotonic and isometric muscle contractions?

Isotonic contractions involve muscle length changing while maintaining constant tension (e.g., lifting a load), and isometric contractions involve muscle tension without any change in muscle length (e.g., holding a plank).

What is the function of an agonist muscle in movement?

An agonist muscle, or prime mover, is the muscle responsible for performing most of the work in a movement. For example, the biceps brachii is the agonist in elbow flexion.

What is hypertrophy and how does it relate to muscles?

Hypertrophy refers to the overdevelopment or growth of a muscle. It is often associated with muscle building due to exercise or other factors.